Golf hole protector



July 20, 1954 l.. JACOBY 2,684,245

GOLF HOLE PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 20, 1951 3 sheets-sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L..JACOBY GOLF HOLE PROTECTOR INI/EN TOR.

July 20, 1954 1 JAcoBY GOLF HOLE PROTECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001'.. 2O 1951 I INI/QTR.

Patented July 20, `1954 f v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF HOLE PROTECTOR Louis Jacoby, Dallas, Tex.

Application October 20, 1951, Serial No. 252,330

(Cl. 27E- 34) Claims.

United States Golf Association regulations require that putting cups be set one inch below the surface of the putting green, and the principal object oi this invention is to protect and maintain the wall of the hole in the putting green above the putting cup.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a familiar putting green;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; p

Fig. 4 is a plan View looking into the putting CUP;

Fig. 5 is a section corresponding to Fig. 3 with the protecting device just above the cup;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the body portion of the protecting device;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. 10 with the parts broken away.

The reference numeral In indicates a putting green equipped with a familiar metal putting cup II having a pole socket I2 secured to it by diagonal braces I3.

The embodiment shown on sheets 1 and 2 of the drawing includes a generally cylindrical body portion I4 having a rounded or spherical Abottom I5 and enlarged at the top to provide a cylindrical wall or flange I6 to t against the wall I1 in the earth above the cup I I.

The cylindrical body I4 iits loosely in the cup II as shown in Fig. 3, and the cylindrical wall I6 overhangs the top of the cup.

At opposite sides the body is slit, as indicated at I8, to provide for expansion and contraction.

The split ange I6 in effect becomes two movable curved members adapted to fit and press against the earth Wall I'I and tend to constantly maintain it. A conical expander I9 has a cylindrical flange adapted to be forced between the curved members and t them to the earth wall.

The expander has a disk-like bottom 2I provided with an opening to receive a reduced portion 22 of the stal 23 to which it is made fast by a ring 24 and apin 25.

The bottom of the staff has a ferrule 21S to fit Within the pole socket I2, and above the ferrule is a reduced portion 21 which passes through an opening 28 in the disk-like seat 29 in the bottom of the body I4. This provides a limited axial movement between the staff and the body portion corresponding to the appropriate movement of the expander in spreading or releasing the curved member IG.

A helical spring 30 compressed between the expander and the bottom of the body urges the expander upwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 5, but is overcome by the Weight of the staff and the flag pole when in the cup.

When the flag is to be set, the device is put in the position indicated in Fig. 5 and lowered into the cup, the rounded bottom portion I5 of the body serving to center it in the descending movement and to prevent injury to the wall Il. As the rounded bottom I5 comes against the upper end of the socket I2, the weight of the stai and flag pole will compress the spring 30, and the expander will move the curved portions of the ange IB outwardly against the earth wall I'I, in which position they dene a cylinder 41A in diameter, the size of the regulation hole.

When the flag is to be removed, the staff 23 is raised, taking the expander upwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 5, the eiiect of which is to relieve the pressure on the portions of the flange I6 and permit them to collapse or contract. Only a small amount of movement is required to iit those portions of the flange to the wall Il above the cup or to loosen them from the wall so as to permit the device to be withdrawn.

The lost motion connection between the staff and the bottom of the body I4 provides for the appropriate movement of the expander before the body has to start upwardly.

The contracting or collapsing of the flange I6 and corresponding portions of the body I4 is provided by the resiliency of the material, which may be of great variety since the shape will naturally give resistance to permanent set.

The staff 23 may be one with a flag pole, but as here shown it is provided with a long pole socket 3| adapted to tightly receive a ferrule 32 on a iiag pole 33. In this way, the protecting de vice forms an article of manufacture that can be readily supplied for use with standard cups and pole equipment.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the body portion 34 is shortened as compared with the body portion I4, and the flange 35 is larger than the flange I6, the natural bias of the metal being to force the flange 35 against the earth wall I1.

There is a lost motion connection generally indicated by 36- betWeen the stai 31 and the body 34, and the staff is equipped with a contracting cup 38 telescoped over the body portion 34 and adapted to contract it as the device is about to be lifted from the cup. In this instance, the body is shown provided with three slits 39, Which results in a corresponding number of curved members to be pressed against the Wall I1.

In operation, the movement of the parts is much the same as the form iirst described, except that the expansion to iill the hole Ilv is inherent in the body portion and the contraction is forced by the cup S2, which is the reverse of the arrangement shown in the nrst. embodiment.

In the form shown in Figs. l and 11, the body portion 4d is substantially the same as the body portion i4, but a different expanding device is interposed between the stai d and the body.

The expander includes a sort of base ring 46 having a sliding nt on a reducedportion- 41 of the stair". Pivoted on top of the ring on pins d8 are arms is having upstanding curved members 50 to act upon the slit portions of the body i13- and spread the curved members 5i into contactwith the wall il of the hole.

Those arms iii are swung outwardly by a conical Wedge 52 cooperating with inclined surfaces 53 on the arms, and the weight of the staff and nag pole furnishes sufficient force to effect the expansion.

Below the disk i5 the staff is. provided with a contracting cone 5d having inclined surfaces 55 to cooperate with pins in the arms d@ extending; through slots 5l in the disk When the staff" is raised, the contractor 5G; cooperates with the pins 55 to. swing the arms. inwardly and permit thebody portionto collapse.v

The operation is. substantially automatic, for as the device is put into the cup the conical Wedge 52 automatically expands the, body portion, and asA the staff is raised. the contractor 5d automatically permits it to collapse.

The expanding and contracting of the body portion may be eiected by a variety of other things, but the illustrations shown in the, drawing are deemed sucient for this disclosure.

The body portion may be made ofv a variety of materials, metallic and non-metallic.. Thin stainless steel, novv available under emergency restrictions, will be found satisfactory.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a rounded body adapted to be received in a putting cup, relatively movable curved members on the body adapted to fit the earth above the cup, and operating means connected With the body and movable axially With respect thereto to cause relative movement of said curved members.

2. In a device of the class described, a rounded body adapted to be received in a putting cup, movable curved members on the body adapted to t the earth above the cup, a stai operatively associated with said body and movable axially with respect thereto, and inclined operating elements carried by the staiand moving therewith to effect movement of the curved members.

3. In. a device of the class described, a body adapted to be received in a putting cup and provided With relatively movable curved members adapted to t the earth above the cup, a stalic connected to the body'for limited axial movement with respect thereto, and operating means on the staff adapted to cause relative movement of said members when the staff is moved relative to the body'.

4. A golf hole protector comprising a staff adapted to be received in a putting cup, a plurality of curved members carried by the staff and adapted toV fit the earth above the cup, said members being movable transversely of the stati betvieen` a position in which they engage the earth above the cup and a position in which they are spaced from the earth above the cup, and means operabley by the. stai for effecting such transverse movement of the members.

5. A golf hole protector of the type set forth in claim 4 in which the stair has limited axial movement withV respect to the curved members and the means for eecting. movement of the curved members is rendered operative during such limited axial movement of the staff.

References Cited. in. the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 621,390 Turner Mar. 21,1899 1,548,289 Sparks Aug. 4, 1925 2,457,759 Wales Dec. 28, 19.48 

